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N'o. 6l6,977. I Patented Ian. 3, I899. E. SGHERFF, F. REHDOBFF & C.OTTOW.

SELF OPENING OB GLOSING UMBRELLA.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 6|6,977. Patented Jan. 3, I899.

' E. SCHERFF, F. BEHDUBFF &. G. OTTOW.

SELF OPENING ORCLOSING UMBRELLA.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1897.), (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(M WWJ v I I Mg UNIT D STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

EDMUND SCHERFF, FRANZ REHDORFF, AND CARL OTTOWV, OF BERLIN, GERMANY;SAID OTTOXV ASSIGNOR TO SAID SCHERFF AND REH- DORFF.

SELF OPENING OR CLOSING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,977, dated January3, 1899.

Application filed September 18, 1897. Serial No. 652,098. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDMUND SOHERFF, FRANZ REHDORFF, and CARL Orrow,subjects of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and residents ofBerlin, in the King dom of Prussia,German Empire, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Self-Opening or Self-Closing Umbrellas,of which the following is an exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that kind of self-opening andself-closing umbrellas described in the United States Letters Patent No.604,495, dated May 24, 1898, and has for its object to effect animprovement in our above-named application for Letters Patent in thefollowing points:

First, in the present application we have attained an improved bearingfor the inner tube, which now slides to and fro upon the interior of theouter tube, this being in the above-named previous construction notpossible, as the spring was between the two tubes.

Our second improvement in the present application consists in locatingthe spring within the inner tube instead of, as above indicated, betweenthe two tubes. Hereby, as is apparent, we cause the thickness of thespring-wire to be independent of the tube- Walls, or, more precisely,independent of the amount of space between the said tube-walls.

Our third improvement in the present application consists in doing awaywith the pin cl named in the previous construction, by which pin theouter tube was often fretted through.

We attain these objects by the mechanism represented in theaccompanying, drawings, in which similar letters denote similar partsthroughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection through our improved umbrella. Fig. 2 is a similar section, theparts being in another position. Fig. 3 shows the tubes forming the bodyof the umbrella without the cloth-supporting and other rods or ribs,said tubes and their adjacent parts being drawn on a larger scale andsome portions of them being broken out in order to reduce the length ofthe figure. Fig. 4 shows the umbrella opened.

. the coil-sprin g e.

The handle 0", Figs. 1, 2, and 4, of the umbrella is fixed to a tube a,Figs. 1 to 4. Within the latter is fastened a cylindrical block f,whichhas the purpose of supporting Above the latter a tube 12, or, moreprecisely, a portion thereof, is situated within the tube a, and may bedisplaced within the latter. I) is closed by means of a block f andrests onthe spring 9, which tends constantly to move the tube I) out ofthe tube a.

To the block f is fastened a rod g, which freely penetrates the block fand has to its end fastened a stop f the latter having the purpose tolimit the outward movement of the tube 6.

The upper end of the tube 1) carries the top notch c for thecloth-supporting ribs 01 and the braces in, that are connected to a setof auxiliary stretchers '5. The latter are hinged at one end to smallslides q, arranged displaceablyupon the ribs (1, and are hinged at theirother ends to the upper end of a tube It, that encompasses the tubes atand b. The other end of the tube h isprovided with an aperture, throughwhich takes a catch 0, attached to the tube a. The tube h carries acatch Z, which takes into the projecting margin of the runner m. Thisrunner'is provided with a bearing-disk w, and a similar disk :0 issecured to th'eupper end of the tube 7%. The one end of the auxiliarystretchers p, above mentioned, is held by the disk to of the runner m,the other ends of said stretch ers 19 being hinged tothe small slides q,above mentioned.

Assuming the umbrella to be in a closed position, Fig. 1, the spring awould be in ten sion and would be prevented from forcing the tube 1) inan outward direction-4. e., from opening the umbrellahy the catch Ztaking behind the projection 02 of the runner m. The tube It isprevented from moving along tube a by means of a catch 0. If, however,the

The inner end of the tube catch is released, the runner m will glide (Zare allowed to rise and the umbrella is thus opened.

There are no special means for keeping the umbrella in its openedposition, in that the spring 6 after having effected said opening is notyet fully released. There remains in said spring as much force as isrequisite for making the opened umbrella able to withstand the pressureof even a strong wind.

Before describing the manner of closing the umbrella we wish to callattention to the fact that in order to bring the parts (Z, 76, 7F, and einto their former relative position it is not necessary to move theseparts in exactly the reverse Way, but the same result may be obtained bymoving the auxiliary stretchers 2' around their points of connectionwith the braces 7c. This may be obtained by uncoupling the tube h fromtube a by means of the catch 0 and then letting the tube It glide alongthe tube a in a direction to the top notch c of the tube h. It should beborne in mind that the rods (Z and p tend to turn the rods 2' around thepoints of connection of said rods 01 with the rods 76. The weight of thetube his not suificient to withstand the counteraction of the rods d andp and of the longer arms of the rods '6, together with the slides g andthe cloth. If, therefore, the tube Z1 is uncoupled from the tube (L, theumbrella is instantly closed and all the parts assume the position shownin Fig. 2. On the closing of the umbrella the pawl Z has automaticallytaken behind the projecting margin n, so as practically to couple thetube 1) to the tube 72, and both these tubes are now displaced along thetube a in the direction of the handle, so as to compress or strain thespring 6,

and all the parts are finally fixed in position by means of the pawl 0coupling the tube h to the tube a. The umbrella is now fit for beingused in the same way as before described.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what we desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- In self-opening andself-closing umbrellas or parasols, the combination of the tube afastened to the handle 0', with the tube 1) arranged displaceably withinthe former, the tube h arranged displaceably upon said tube a, the blockffastened within said tube Ct and the block f fastened to the inner endof tube 12, a coil-spring 6 arranged between the blocks f f, a rod gfastened to said block f, and penetrating block f, a stop f fastened tothe end of said rod 9, and the runner m, auxiliary stretchers istretchers p, and ribs d, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND SOHER'FF. FRANZ REHDORFF. CARL OTTOW. Witnesses:

JULIUS MAEMESKE, FRITZ SPERLING.

